Lost in Hyperspace

As Lost in Hyperspace (rarely Lost in Hypertext ) is called the phenomenon of disorientation can experience the reader when reading hypertext documents.

Hypertext

If the information is distributed to pages that are linked together by hyperlinks, and the reader options are provided, with which he can jump around within the text, he does not know which parts of the text he has not yet read. Add to that provided on-line text can be changed, so that the reader must always reckon that already read texts have changed, or deleted, and others are added. This situation is sometimes perceived by readers, the traditional texts are used as unsatisfactory. You feel then "lost" in the text corpus, rather than to feel the freedom of choice as enriching. In addition, links can seduce the reader to click on topics that distract him from his original intention - even if a linear-structured text which can be read coherently from front to back. The seduction of the reader being exploited by context-sensitive online advertising: banner ads, pop -ups, etc. entice some readers somewhere else.

Guidance

Mechanisms, which are already used for print media can also be used in the Hypermedia area, for example, a table of contents, index, or glossary, and footnotes. Hypertext systems have their own navigation mechanisms, such as the forward and back buttons current web browser or the so-called breadcrumb navigation. However, these mechanisms must be learned only by the reader, which is further complicated by different implementation in different systems. Specific guidance for hypertexts like search, sitemap, bookmarks, history, tabbed browsing can at least alleviate the lost in hyperspace Dilemma of the reader. A successful navigation should provide answers to the questions: What is important? Where can I find Relevant? Where am I? What can I do here? Where do I come from? Where can I go? How do I get on, back, back out?

Serendipity

Proponents of the hypertext paradigm result also indicates that the readers in a hypertext system often encountered in the search for specific information to other, also interesting information, which is not considered a side effect, but one of the most desired forms of use. This incidental finding of information, according to which one has not actually sought is called Serendipity effect ( Rainer Kuhlen 1991). If however, it is usual to read one for him interesting text ( corpus ) into one, is unlikely to be satisfied with this view of things.

Since hypertext is a comparatively new form of information representation, can be assumed that both the quality of the programs used for its preparation as well as the acceptance of non-linear texts will improve with time.